Pedro Bordaberry
Encyclopedia
Juan Pedro Bordaberry Herrán (born April 28, 1960) is a Uruguay
an political figure
. He is the current President of the Colorado Party
, gaining fluency in English. He later studied law.
minister in the government of President
Jorge Batlle until 2005.
He was also appointed Industry and Energy minister (2002–2003) and Sports and Youth minister (2003–2004).
, but lost to Ricardo Ehrlich
, of the Frente Amplio
. Bordaberry got 26.9% of the vote; Ehrlich won with 60.9%. In this election, Bordaberry multiplied by three the votes that his party, the Colorado, had received in the October 2004 general election (See also: Domingo Bordaberry#Political heritage). Nevertheless, he was still 1% below Oscar Magurno's performance of May 2000 (the Colorado Party candidate for the mayoralty of Montevideo at the time).
Pedro Bordaberry's decision to seek a political base in Montevideo contrasts with his father, dictator Juan Maria Bordaberry
, who had a long association with rural affairs.
, elected President of Uruguay
in free elections in 1972 and former Dictator of Uruguay
from 1973 to 1976, after closing Parliament. Since his father's arrest in 2006, in connection with the 1976 assassination of two legislators, Senator Zelmar Michelini and House leader Héctor Gutiérrez, Pedro Bordaberry has been vocal in his support.
, for Pedro Bordaberry, seen as one of the principal leaders of the opposition, to be identified in his public pronouncements with a controversial period in which he himself played no direct role.
.
He is a great-grandson of Santiago Bordaberry (Senior), a French
national from the Basque Country.
He is a brother of the noted Ruralist leader Santiago Bordaberry, based in Durazno Department
, central Uruguay
.
and Martín Torrijos
of Panama
are comparable cases in point.
, who was an acute observer of the historical and cultural scenes of both Argentina
and Uruguay
. (See: Fray Bentos#Place in literature: Bordaberry on Ireneo Funes by J.L.Borges)
He has notably discussed Borges's theme of the complexity of memory.
, Pedro Bordaberry formed a new group in the Colorado Party. This group is called "Vamos Uruguay" (variously translated "Let's go Uruguay" or 'Come on, Uruguay') [1].
Bordaberry's group claims to represent calls for ethics, honesty and real participation of the Uruguayan people in public life of the country.
(Bordaberry had in effect split with the Lista 15, shortly after the municipal elections of May 2005, with which he had previously been identified.)
Bordaberry has built up a nationwide organization for the group. Many local chapters of 'Vamos Uruguay' have been established in Uruguay
's departments.
Presidential elections in 2009 .
Guillermo Stirling
, the former Colorado
Party candidate for the Presidency in 2004, was in 2008 seen as close to Bordaberry, rather than to former Vice President of Uruguay
Luis Antonio Hierro López
, also thought to be a likely candidate, but trailing considerably in polls thought to be broadly accurate.
Other prominent Colorado supporters include former Minister Jorge Sanguinetti
and former Deputies Washington García Rijo
and Diana Saravia Olmos
, and former 'Intendente' of Artigas Ariel Riani
.
district of Montevideo
. An unstable or enraged individual was sought in connection with the incident.
However, it was thought that longstanding, widespread frustrations relating to the former civilian-military régime and its conflict with Tupamaro urban guerrillas may have supplied part of the context of this event.
Political violence in Uruguay
has subsided particularly since the departure of the civilian-military administration of 1973-1985.
However, there have been occasions when aspiring and rising politicians have died in mysterious circumstances, notably Villanueva Saravia
in 1998 .
to resign.
This call followed Bordaberry's publicly expressed doubts about what he claimed was Tourné's lack of commitment to her ministerial responsibility for security issues; the criticism was rejected by Tourné.
However, Ms. Tourné did eventually resign in 2009 following some public gaffes relating to other prominent Opposition figures.
Bordaberry has entered into controversy regarding some of the foreign official trips which President Tabaré Vázquez
has undertaken.
For example, he has been critical of President Vázquez for choosing to be in Cuba
at a June 2008 commemoration - which Mr. Vázquez himself initiated - of the victims of the cilivian-military administration, although the rôle of Mr. Bordaberry Senior was also relevant to the events commemorated.
However, Bordaberry has also defended President Vázquez in relation to what he regarded as a breach of protocol by his hosts during a visit of Mr. Vázquez to Argentina
.)
's front runner in the polls.
With the Presidential poll due to take place in the autumn of 2009, it remained to be seen, however, whether Bordaberry could successfully translate his support within his party into broader electoral support among voters dissatisfied with the Frente Amplio
government.
government's omitting, for internal caucus reasons, to seek a trade agreement with the US during the more fortuitous Bush Administration
was thought likely to arise as an issue during the 2009 Presidential elections.
trade pact, holding instead that the Chile
an model of pursuing bilateral trade pacts is preferable for Uruguay
. Bordaberry's comments came at a time of continuing, difficult relations with Argentina
over trade issues.
stadium.
It was estimated that 7,000 supporters were present for this event.
In June 2009 Bordaberry set aside working for the legal practice in which he had been active.
This action of the candidate was taken as a further sign of the increasing confidence which was surrounding Bordaberry's Presidential ambitions.
Party colleague Luis Antonio Hierro López
, also running for President, on account of his surname.
The two men had previously worked together as ministerial colleagues.
In a muted response, Bordaberry wished Hierro well, and recalled that Hierro himself had previously campaigned for Bordaberry while they were colleagues in government and that the perceived issue now being raised by Hierro was one about which he had previously been silent.
and Frente Amplio
rivals, but increasing substantially his Colorado Party
's share of the vote.
Shortly afterward, Bordaberry endorsed his former rival Luis Alberto Lacalle
for the run-off vote, scheduled for the end of November 2009, since no candidate attained more than 50% of the vote in the first round.
In early 2010 Bordaberry was advocating the establishment of a new University in the interior's city of Durazno
, with a view to assisting disadvantaged potential students.
's political culture somewhat of a 'Riverista' resurgence. This is symbolized by strong personal, populist leadership, which past prominent Colorado Party
figures such as Jorge Pacheco Areco
and previous generations of the Bordaberry political family have exemplified.
polticical culture more broadly, Bordaberry's rapid rise as a charismatic aspirant to national leadership, with his strong political and family roots in the country's interior and its latent 'gaucho liberator' folklore, is comparable to the rise of other charismatic leaders in recent and more distant Uruguayan
history. These include Villanueva Saravia
in the 1990s, but also some of Uruguay
's populist political leaders of the 19th century during the tumultuous Independence and Civil War periods.
political culture, can manifest itself in various ways; for his part, Bordaberry is known sometimes to participate at outdoor public meetings on horseback, or else in traditional, local horseriding attire.
of being, or striving to become a dictator.http://www.observa.com.uy/actualidad/nota.aspx?id=102987http://www.elpais.com.uy/especiales/elecciones/2009/pcolorado_450828.asp
, and was president of the Uruguayan Rugby Union for a while.
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
an political figure
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
. He is the current President of the Colorado Party
Colorado Party (Uruguay)
The Colorado Party is a political party in Uruguay.- Aims :It unites Conservative, Moderate and Social democratic groups. It was the dominant party of government almost without exception during the stabilisation of the Uruguayan republic....
Early life
Bordaberry was educated at The British Schools of MontevideoThe British Schools of Montevideo
The British Schools of Montevideo is a private, coeducational, non-profit school, which aims to give an intensive bilingual education, combining the Uruguayan national curriculum with an English language program.-Educational programs and governance:...
, gaining fluency in English. He later studied law.
Earlier political and ministerial career
Bordaberry served as the TourismTourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
minister in the government of President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
Jorge Batlle until 2005.
He was also appointed Industry and Energy minister (2002–2003) and Sports and Youth minister (2003–2004).
Election candidate for Montevideo municipality
He also participated in the mayoral elections for MontevideoMontevideo
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
, but lost to Ricardo Ehrlich
Ricardo Ehrlich
Ricardo Ehrlich is a Uruguayan engineer anda political figure.Since 2005 he has been Mayor of Montevideo...
, of the Frente Amplio
Broad Front (Uruguay)
The Broad Front is a Uruguayan left-wing coalition of political parties. It is led by Jorge Brovetto. Frente Amplio has close ties with PIT-CNT trade union and the cooperative housing movement.-History:...
. Bordaberry got 26.9% of the vote; Ehrlich won with 60.9%. In this election, Bordaberry multiplied by three the votes that his party, the Colorado, had received in the October 2004 general election (See also: Domingo Bordaberry#Political heritage). Nevertheless, he was still 1% below Oscar Magurno's performance of May 2000 (the Colorado Party candidate for the mayoralty of Montevideo at the time).
Pedro Bordaberry's decision to seek a political base in Montevideo contrasts with his father, dictator Juan Maria Bordaberry
Juan María Bordaberry
Juan María Bordaberry Arocena was a Uruguayan politician and cattle rancher, who first served as President from 1972 until 1976, including as a dictator from 1973 until his ouster in a 1976 coup...
, who had a long association with rural affairs.
Father
He is a son of Juan Maria BordaberryJuan María Bordaberry
Juan María Bordaberry Arocena was a Uruguayan politician and cattle rancher, who first served as President from 1972 until 1976, including as a dictator from 1973 until his ouster in a 1976 coup...
, elected President of Uruguay
President of Uruguay
The President of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay is the head of state of Uruguay. His or her rights are determined in the Constitution of Uruguay. Conforms with the Secretariat of the Presidency, the Council of Ministers and the Director of the Office of Planning and Budget, the executive branch...
in free elections in 1972 and former Dictator of Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
from 1973 to 1976, after closing Parliament. Since his father's arrest in 2006, in connection with the 1976 assassination of two legislators, Senator Zelmar Michelini and House leader Héctor Gutiérrez, Pedro Bordaberry has been vocal in his support.
Discussions of role
Some observers would argue that it is natural for this state of affairs to have come about, and that it is unreasonable to expect Pedro Bordaberry not to defend his father. Others would argue that from a publicity perspective it is in the tactical political interests of the Broad FrontBroad Front (Uruguay)
The Broad Front is a Uruguayan left-wing coalition of political parties. It is led by Jorge Brovetto. Frente Amplio has close ties with PIT-CNT trade union and the cooperative housing movement.-History:...
, for Pedro Bordaberry, seen as one of the principal leaders of the opposition, to be identified in his public pronouncements with a controversial period in which he himself played no direct role.
Grandfather, great-grandfather and brother
He is a grandson of former Senator and Ruralist leader Domingo BordaberryDomingo Bordaberry
Domingo Bordaberry Elizondo was a Uruguayan political figure.-Early career:Bordaberry was a lawyer by profession.He became a farm manager and subsequently a landowner.-Senator:...
.
He is a great-grandson of Santiago Bordaberry (Senior), a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
national from the Basque Country.
He is a brother of the noted Ruralist leader Santiago Bordaberry, based in Durazno Department
Durazno Department
Durazno is a department of Uruguay. Its capital is Durazno. Its name means "peach" in Spanish, referring to the department's peaches and its status as an agricultural breadbasket.-Economy and Geography:...
, central Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
.
Background of Latin American political culture
Pedro Bordaberry's career is one of a number of examples in Latin American politics of the son of a President of authoritarian tendencies making his mark subsequently while upholding constitutional legitimacy. The careers of Omar TorrijosOmar Torrijos
Omar Efraín Torrijos Herrera was the Commander of the Panamanian and National Guard and the de facto leader of Panama from 1968 to 1981...
and Martín Torrijos
Martín Torrijos
Martín Erasto Torrijos Espino is a Panamanian politician and the former President of the Republic of Panama.Torrijos was elected President on May 2, 2004...
of Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
are comparable cases in point.
Literary criticism
Bordaberry has contributed to literary criticism of the Argentinian writer Jorge Luis BorgesJorge Luis Borges
Jorge Francisco Isidoro Luis Borges Acevedo , known as Jorge Luis Borges , was an Argentine writer, essayist, poet and translator born in Buenos Aires. In 1914 his family moved to Switzerland where he attended school, receiving his baccalauréat from the Collège de Genève in 1918. The family...
, who was an acute observer of the historical and cultural scenes of both Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
and Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
. (See: Fray Bentos#Place in literature: Bordaberry on Ireneo Funes by J.L.Borges)
He has notably discussed Borges's theme of the complexity of memory.
Formation of Vamos Uruguay
In 2007, following a well-attended meeting of supporters in Trinidad, UruguayTrinidad, Uruguay
Trinidad is the capital city of Flores in southern Uruguay. It is located on the intersection of Route 3 with Route 14.-History:Named for the Spanish word for 'Trinity', its naming reflects a less secular period in the country's history. The city was initially called: 'Santísima Trinidad de los...
, Pedro Bordaberry formed a new group in the Colorado Party. This group is called "Vamos Uruguay" (variously translated "Let's go Uruguay" or 'Come on, Uruguay') [1].
Bordaberry's group claims to represent calls for ethics, honesty and real participation of the Uruguayan people in public life of the country.
(Bordaberry had in effect split with the Lista 15, shortly after the municipal elections of May 2005, with which he had previously been identified.)
Bordaberry has built up a nationwide organization for the group. Many local chapters of 'Vamos Uruguay' have been established in Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
's departments.
2008
Polls in 2008 showed that Bordaberry by a huge margin was the candidate best placed to gain his party's nomination for the UruguayanUruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
Presidential elections in 2009 .
Guillermo Stirling
Guillermo Stirling
-Background and political alignment:Stirling is a prominent member of the Uruguayan Colorado Party. He has been a close colleague of Presidents Julio María Sanguinetti and Jorge Batlle.His grandfather Manuel Stirling was a Deputy and Senator for Paysandú....
, the former Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
Party candidate for the Presidency in 2004, was in 2008 seen as close to Bordaberry, rather than to former Vice President of Uruguay
Vice President of Uruguay
-List of Vice Presidents of Uruguay:Parties: Colorado Party, National Party, Frente Amplio-History of the office:The office of Vice President of Uruguay dates from 1934 ....
Luis Antonio Hierro López
Luis Antonio Hierro López
Luis Antonio Hierro López is a Uruguayan political figure.-Background:Luis Antonio Hierro López is a prominent member of the Uruguayan Colorado Party, and is from a distinguished political family. His father was Luis Hierro Gambardella, former Minister, Deputy for Treinta y Tres and Senator...
, also thought to be a likely candidate, but trailing considerably in polls thought to be broadly accurate.
Other prominent Colorado supporters include former Minister Jorge Sanguinetti
Jorge Sanguinetti
-Background:For many years he was associated with local political affairs in Colonia Department. He is a member of the Colorado Party , and during the 1970s was a leading party activist.-Minister of Transport and Public Works:...
and former Deputies Washington García Rijo
Washington García Rijo
Washington García Rijo was a Uruguayan political figure.- Background :His political base has been in Rocha Department. He formerly served as a senior police officer...
and Diana Saravia Olmos
Diana Saravia Olmos
-Background and previous political alliances:While the National Party's Aparicio Saravia was a collateral family forbear, she is a former Deputy, and former supporter of 'Pachequismo' and subsequently the Ballistas within the Colorado Party...
, and former 'Intendente' of Artigas Ariel Riani
Ariel Riani
Ariel Riani is an Uruguayan political, law enforcement and business figure.-Background and early career:He served as police chief of Artigas during the Presidency of Jorge Pacheco Areco. This period attracted international comment for the stringent law enforcement methods adopted by Mr...
.
Death threats, May 2008
In May 2008 Pedro Bordaberry received death threats while in the PocitosPocitos
Pocitos is an upscale beach barrio in Uruguay's capital city, Montevideo.This area is located along the banks of the Rio de la Plata. The barrio is known for its beach, Playa Pocitos, and the Rambla, or boulevard, that lies alongside it...
district of Montevideo
Montevideo
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
. An unstable or enraged individual was sought in connection with the incident.
However, it was thought that longstanding, widespread frustrations relating to the former civilian-military régime and its conflict with Tupamaro urban guerrillas may have supplied part of the context of this event.
Political violence in Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
has subsided particularly since the departure of the civilian-military administration of 1973-1985.
However, there have been occasions when aspiring and rising politicians have died in mysterious circumstances, notably Villanueva Saravia
Villanueva Saravia
-Background:He was the great-great-grandson of Aparicio Saravia, the prominent Uruguayan National Party and Civil War leader, who died following the Battle of Masoller in 1904, and who had a strong following in Cerro Largo....
in 1998 .
Interior Minister Daisy Tourné
In 2008 Bordaberry called on Interior Minister Daisy TournéDaisy Tourné
-Frente Amplio associations:She is aligned politically with the Frente Amplio movement, which has been in government office since 2005, headed by President of Uruguay Tabaré Vázquez....
to resign.
This call followed Bordaberry's publicly expressed doubts about what he claimed was Tourné's lack of commitment to her ministerial responsibility for security issues; the criticism was rejected by Tourné.
However, Ms. Tourné did eventually resign in 2009 following some public gaffes relating to other prominent Opposition figures.
Criticism of Mr. Vázquez
Bordaberry has entered into controversy regarding some of the foreign official trips which President Tabaré Vázquez
Tabaré Vázquez
Tabaré Ramón Vázquez Rosas is a former President of Uruguay. A physician by training, he is a member of the leftist Frente Amplo coalition . Vázquez was elected president on October 31, 2004, took office on March 1, 2005, and relinquished the office on March 1, 2010...
has undertaken.
For example, he has been critical of President Vázquez for choosing to be in Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
at a June 2008 commemoration - which Mr. Vázquez himself initiated - of the victims of the cilivian-military administration, although the rôle of Mr. Bordaberry Senior was also relevant to the events commemorated.
Defence of Mr. Vázquez
However, Bordaberry has also defended President Vázquez in relation to what he regarded as a breach of protocol by his hosts during a visit of Mr. Vázquez to Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
.)
2009 Uruguayan Presidential elections
Presidential election year 2009 opened with Bordaberry easily maintaining his position as the Colorado PartyColorado Party (Uruguay)
The Colorado Party is a political party in Uruguay.- Aims :It unites Conservative, Moderate and Social democratic groups. It was the dominant party of government almost without exception during the stabilisation of the Uruguayan republic....
's front runner in the polls.
With the Presidential poll due to take place in the autumn of 2009, it remained to be seen, however, whether Bordaberry could successfully translate his support within his party into broader electoral support among voters dissatisfied with the Frente Amplio
Broad Front (Uruguay)
The Broad Front is a Uruguayan left-wing coalition of political parties. It is led by Jorge Brovetto. Frente Amplio has close ties with PIT-CNT trade union and the cooperative housing movement.-History:...
government.
Economy and trade
On the economic front, facing the inauguration of the Obama Administration in the US, Bordaberry cautioned that a greater degree of protectionism on the part of US officials will be encountered against Uruguayan business leaders seeking to export their goods to the US; Bordaberry's comments were in line with the theme of the resurgence of US protectionism taken up at the Davos World Economic Forum in January / February 2009. The Frente AmplioBroad Front (Uruguay)
The Broad Front is a Uruguayan left-wing coalition of political parties. It is led by Jorge Brovetto. Frente Amplio has close ties with PIT-CNT trade union and the cooperative housing movement.-History:...
government's omitting, for internal caucus reasons, to seek a trade agreement with the US during the more fortuitous Bush Administration
George W. Bush administration
The presidency of George W. Bush began on January 20, 2001, when he was inaugurated as the 43rd President of the United States of America. The oldest son of former president George H. W. Bush, George W...
was thought likely to arise as an issue during the 2009 Presidential elections.
Misgivings about Mercosur
In August 2009 Bordaberry expressed strong reservations about the working of the MercosurMercosur
Mercosur or Mercosul is an economic and political agreement among Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Founded in 1991 by the Treaty of Asunción, which was later amended and updated by the 1994 Treaty of Ouro Preto. Its purpose is to promote free trade and the fluid movement of goods, people,...
trade pact, holding instead that the Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
an model of pursuing bilateral trade pacts is preferable for Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
. Bordaberry's comments came at a time of continuing, difficult relations with Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
over trade issues.
Preparation for 2009 Presidential elections
On March 21 Pedro Bordaberry was formally 'proclaimed' Presidential candidate for his 'Vamos Uruguay' group, at a vigorous ceremony at a MontevideoMontevideo
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
stadium.
It was estimated that 7,000 supporters were present for this event.
In June 2009 Bordaberry set aside working for the legal practice in which he had been active.
This action of the candidate was taken as a further sign of the increasing confidence which was surrounding Bordaberry's Presidential ambitions.
Intraparty tensions
As Bordaberry's campaign gathered pace, in June 2009 he was the subject of public criticism on the part of ColoradoColorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
Party colleague Luis Antonio Hierro López
Luis Antonio Hierro López
Luis Antonio Hierro López is a Uruguayan political figure.-Background:Luis Antonio Hierro López is a prominent member of the Uruguayan Colorado Party, and is from a distinguished political family. His father was Luis Hierro Gambardella, former Minister, Deputy for Treinta y Tres and Senator...
, also running for President, on account of his surname.
The two men had previously worked together as ministerial colleagues.
In a muted response, Bordaberry wished Hierro well, and recalled that Hierro himself had previously campaigned for Bordaberry while they were colleagues in government and that the perceived issue now being raised by Hierro was one about which he had previously been silent.
17% in Presidential vote
In the event, Bordaberry obtained 17% in the Presidential vote on 26 October, considerably below his National PartyNational Party (Uruguay)
The National Party , also known as the White Party , is a major right-wing conservative political party in Uruguay, currently the major opposition party to the ruling Frente Amplio government....
and Frente Amplio
Broad Front (Uruguay)
The Broad Front is a Uruguayan left-wing coalition of political parties. It is led by Jorge Brovetto. Frente Amplio has close ties with PIT-CNT trade union and the cooperative housing movement.-History:...
rivals, but increasing substantially his Colorado Party
Colorado Party (Uruguay)
The Colorado Party is a political party in Uruguay.- Aims :It unites Conservative, Moderate and Social democratic groups. It was the dominant party of government almost without exception during the stabilisation of the Uruguayan republic....
's share of the vote.
Shortly afterward, Bordaberry endorsed his former rival Luis Alberto Lacalle
Luis Alberto Lacalle
Luis Alberto Lacalle de Herrera is a Uruguayan lawyer and politician who served as President of Uruguay from 1990 to 1995.-Background:His mother, María Hortensia de Herrera de Lacalle, was the daughter of the Blanco political leader Luis Alberto de Herrera, after whom Lacalle was named. Luis...
for the run-off vote, scheduled for the end of November 2009, since no candidate attained more than 50% of the vote in the first round.
Election to the Uruguayan Senate
Bordaberry was elected to the Uruguayan Senate in 2009.In early 2010 Bordaberry was advocating the establishment of a new University in the interior's city of Durazno
Durazno
Durazno is the capital of Durazno in Uruguay. It is located at the intersection of Routes 5 and 41, in the south of the department, close to the borders with the departments of Flores to the southwest and Florida| to the southeast. It is only northeast of the city of Trinidad, capital of Flores...
, with a view to assisting disadvantaged potential students.
Riverista resurgence
To some extent Bordaberry represents within the Colorado PartyColorado Party (Uruguay)
The Colorado Party is a political party in Uruguay.- Aims :It unites Conservative, Moderate and Social democratic groups. It was the dominant party of government almost without exception during the stabilisation of the Uruguayan republic....
's political culture somewhat of a 'Riverista' resurgence. This is symbolized by strong personal, populist leadership, which past prominent Colorado Party
Colorado Party (Uruguay)
The Colorado Party is a political party in Uruguay.- Aims :It unites Conservative, Moderate and Social democratic groups. It was the dominant party of government almost without exception during the stabilisation of the Uruguayan republic....
figures such as Jorge Pacheco Areco
Jorge Pacheco Areco
Jorge Pacheco Areco was a Uruguayan politician and member of the Colorado Party. He served as President of Uruguay from December 6, 1967 to March 1, 1972.-Vice President of Uruguay:...
and previous generations of the Bordaberry political family have exemplified.
Charismatic leadership
Within UruguayanUruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
polticical culture more broadly, Bordaberry's rapid rise as a charismatic aspirant to national leadership, with his strong political and family roots in the country's interior and its latent 'gaucho liberator' folklore, is comparable to the rise of other charismatic leaders in recent and more distant Uruguayan
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
history. These include Villanueva Saravia
Villanueva Saravia
-Background:He was the great-great-grandson of Aparicio Saravia, the prominent Uruguayan National Party and Civil War leader, who died following the Battle of Masoller in 1904, and who had a strong following in Cerro Largo....
in the 1990s, but also some of Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
's populist political leaders of the 19th century during the tumultuous Independence and Civil War periods.
Gaucho liberator folklore
The 'gaucho liberator' folklore, never far from the background in UruguayanUruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
political culture, can manifest itself in various ways; for his part, Bordaberry is known sometimes to participate at outdoor public meetings on horseback, or else in traditional, local horseriding attire.
Accusations of alleged dictatorship
Despite his own family history of dictatorship, Bordaberry has at several occasions accused current President José MujicaJosé Mujica
José Alberto "Pepe" Mujica Cordano is a Uruguayan politician and former guerrilla fighter, a member of the Broad Front and current President of Uruguay....
of being, or striving to become a dictator.http://www.observa.com.uy/actualidad/nota.aspx?id=102987http://www.elpais.com.uy/especiales/elecciones/2009/pcolorado_450828.asp
Rugby
Bordaberry is a major figure in rugby union in UruguayRugby union in Uruguay
Rugby union is considered one of the most popular sports in Uruguay. The national team, commonly known as Los Teros, have been playing international rugby since the late 1940s and have made appearances in two world cups - once in 1999 and again in 2003.- Governing body :The Unión de Rugby del...
, and was president of the Uruguayan Rugby Union for a while.
External links
- (Photos) Pedro Bordaberry's motorcade, Carpinteria, Durazno, September 20, 2008 http://picasaweb.google.com/vamossalto/CarpinteriaDurazno#5250166985175317330http://picasaweb.google.com/vamossalto/CarpinteriaDurazno#5250166555916356898
- (Photo) Musical rally for Pedro Bordaberry's campaign, Carpinteria, Durazno, September 20, 2008 http://picasaweb.google.com/vamossalto/CarpinteriaDurazno#5250162682194950466
- (Photos) Musical rally for Pedro Bordaberry's campaign, Salto, December 11, 2008 http://picasaweb.google.com/vamossalto/ProclamaciNGermN#5280108050124569618http://picasaweb.google.com/vamossalto/ProclamaciNGermN#5280111912464525202
- (Photo) From left to right: Pedro Bordaberry, Jeb Bush Junior, Mrs. Bordaberry, Mrs. Silverstein, U. S. Ambassador Silverstein http://montevideo.usembassy.gov/usaweb/imagenes/414-06.jpg
- (Photo) Tourism seminar led by Pedro Bordaberry, April 4, 2003 http://www.presidencia.gub.uy/fotos/banco/2003/abril/20030404ag.jpg
- (Photo) Pedro Bordaberry meeting with President Tabaré Vázquez, June 2007 http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42401000/jpg/_42401400_nunc2ap203bd.jpg
- Report about Pedro Bordaberry's Colorado Party group: "Vamos Uruguay"http://www.larepublica.com.uy/lr3/larepublica/2007/08/11/politica/270415/jorge-sanguinetti-se-suma-al-sector-de-pedro-bordaberry-vamos-uruguay/
- Article re. TV debate between Pedro Bordaberry and Senator Rafael Michelini, Oct. 7, 2006 http://www.clarin.com/diario/2006/10/07/elmundo/i-03801.htm
- Title page and review of the book 'Que me desmientan' by Pedro Bordaberry http://www.aurora.com.uy/libros/img/quemedesmientan.jpghttp://www.aurora.com.uy/libros/index.asp
- Interview for 'La República'http://www.vamosuruguay.com.uy/descarga/entrevistalarep.pdf
